The Mere and the Weasley
by JezaXC
Summary: I Do not own Harry Potter or any of it affiliates. I do, however, own the off-book storyline and the character Evelyn Murray and Elsa Durham, as well as other characters that may come along. Rated T just for safety, just in case I feel a bit devious later on. This is about a girl Evelyn Murray who goes to Hogwarts and meets the Weasley Twins...
1. Intro

Oh, but you'll find that this is not just any Harry Potter Fan fiction.

In fact, Harry tends to be a secondary character in this! A girl named Evelyn, a pure-blood, has been put into a behind the scenes plot in the world of Harry Potter. Trying to fit in, she meets up with two of our favorite prankster redheads, the Weasley Twins. Even though she is two years below them, she seems to find comfort and friendship with these two troublemakers. However, her "uncle" - who is only just a close family friend - may disagree with her choice of companions. Evelyn, called Evie by the twins, may even fall for a Weasley or two. For once in her life, while still feeling somewhat inferior, doesn't feel as different as she had felt for her entire life with her pure-blood family and muggle friends. Is this where she belongs? Will her spirit be shattered, just as her "uncle" warned her? Who is said "uncle"? Find out all these things in:

THE MERE AND THE WEASLEY (by JezaXC)


	2. Chapter 1: Train Ride

It was my first year at Hogwarts. I was terribly frightened. I was (and still am) a witch. However, I have always felt as if I was a different kind of witch than any other magical person I've ever met. I suppose that my hair didn't help. I was born with a huge blue streak in my hair, exactly in the middle of my black locks. I was the only one in my family with dark hair. Every other year, though, the streak would turn a bright yellow. My mother swore that I would end up being in Ravenclaw or Hufflepuff.  
I'm a pure blood, but that has no effect on the mindset of my family or me. Mum had been excited and relieved that I was not born a squib. She could hardly wait for the day that my letter came from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, which was where my parents met, fell in love, and worked for a while. A few years before I was born, though, they had resigned in order to start a family. Obviously, they succeeded.  
And here I stood. I stared at the brick wall, willing it to come to me so I wouldn't have to pick up my legs that felt like lead. My father, however, gave me a firm push, whispering encouragements into my ear. I stumbled clumsily into the brick wall and came out on the platform labeled 9¾. Of course, as I had suspected, everyone was whispering about Harry Potter. I did want to meet him, but I knew that if it was me that was the celebrity, I wouldn't want everyone trying to be my friend.  
At that moment, I was pushed by another buggy. Harry Potter stood behind the cart, looking dreadfully confused. "Sorry!" he said. "It's okay, Harry," I said naturally, as if I knew him, and stuck out my hand, "I'm Evelyn Murray. It's good to meet you." He shook my hand firmly and politely and smiled sincerely. His eyes thanked me for the first normal encounter he's had in a while. I nodded in return and went to the baggage compartment, where my bags were piled on top of the mountain of others.  
I had a backpack full of muggle items (I had lived in a muggle neighborhood my entire life) such as a music player, CDs, a drawing pad, colored pencils, and other various items. Of course, my wand was tucked away in my secret jacket pocket.  
My parents had a knack for being late, and I was angry this time because there was no place to sit on the train, and I had to sit where there was room for two because I had terrible claustrophobia. I said goodbye to my parents as I boarded the train. I avoided Harry's compartment because I knew that it would be good for him to not be crowded. Although, I do believe the red-haired boy with the large "R" on his maroon sweater may have been talking Harry's ear off.  
The only box with open seats had two occupants. Twins, who looked like they were related to the "R"-sweater boy, were wearing sweaters to match. The boy closest to the door wore a dark green sweater with a blue "F", and the one next to him wore a dark blue sweater with a green "G". They were whispering to each other. I didn't want to bother them, since they looked too old to be first years. I knocked politely on the door. Both of their heads turned to see me at the same time. Both motioned for me to come in. The way that they moved simultaneously was pretty creepy.  
"Excuse me, I'm sorry to interrupt, and I don't mean to be rude, but may I sit here? No other seat on the train is open," I said courteously. The boys looked at each other before they answered, "Of course."  
I threw my backpack onto the booth on the right, opposite of where they were sitting. They stared at me as if they had never experienced seeing a first year before. I put on my headphones that were connected to my muggle music player and threw in my favorite CD. My head bobbed along with the beat of the music. I saw them begin to talk. Although I could not hear what they were saying, I was an expert of lip reading and could tell what they were saying. The one with the "F" on his shirt leaned into the other to whisper something to him. "Odd one, this girl is. Seems quite reclusive, she does," he said. The other nodded, adding, "Using muggle devices like Dad. I wonder if she is muggle-born."  
I stopped my music. "I'm pureblood, actually. My best friend is a muggle. I've lived in a muggle neighborhood all my life, but I've known that I am a witch since I was small," I said. They looked shocked that I knew what they had been talking about.  
The one with the "F" smiled and said, "Well, we ought to be polite and ask your name, then. May we know your name?"  
"Evelyn Murray," I replied. I sarcastically added, "And I'm assuming you two aren't related at all." I smiled, feeling comfortable.  
"Oh, it looks like we have a sarcastic one here!" the one in blue said, "I'm George Weasley. This is Fred, my brother, obviously."  
"What year are you, darling?" Fred asked, with a huge grin.  
"This is my first year at Hogwarts," I explained, then asked, "And you two?"  
"Third years," Fred said, wiggling his eyebrows in mock seduction. I giggled.  
"Oh Fred, I think I'm in love with this wonderful girl. She's too sarcastic to be true!" George exclaimed, smiling. I laughed harder at this. I finally felt as if I belonged somewhere.  
"So, I assume the kid sitting with Harry Potter is a sibling of yours?" I inquired. Both the boys nodded.  
"Yes, and he's actually in your year…" retorted Fred, "By the way, we have a talent for nicknaming people. Can we give you a nickname, or do you have a nickname that we may or may not put into consideration?"  
"Sure. I don't know what you could call me. Eve is a little odd, and much too elegant for someone like me. I won't respond to Lynn… Uhm…" I responded.  
"What about Evie?" George smiled, "It's not too sophisticated for you, yet not too carefree, either. What do you think?"  
"Hm… Evie," I thought aloud, "I like it a lot. But it's weird, because my Uncle Severus sometimes calls me Lily on accident. I apparently look like an old girlfriend he had or something."  
Both their faces went confused. "You mean Severus Snape is your uncle?"George stuttered.  
"Well, he isn't actually related to me. He used to live in the same neighborhood as we did, and we would spend Christmas with him since he seemed to be quite a lonely fellow. My parents became good friends with him. Oh, I suppose you know him from classes at Hogwarts," I explained.  
They nodded. I could tell that they were slightly disgusted by the fact that I was in any way affiliated in a familiar relationship with Snape.  
"It's okay, he is quite grumpy. I think I may be the only person he really does care for," I said. I continued in a monotone voice, "I expect a parchment about Severus Snape on my desk, first thing in the morrow."  
The twins tried to hold in their laughter. "Go on, then. Let it out!" I said with a smile. They burst into giggles and guffaws, hoots and cackles. I began to put on my crocodile tear show. "It really isn't that funny. He's the only one I can trust with anything! He's the only adult I have that will listen to me… and I love him! I call him uncle for a reason!" I cried, trying to hide my amusement.  
Both of their faces went scared. "We-we're sorry! We didn't mean t-to…" Fred began as I continued shedding more and more fake tears.  
"I am extremely disappointed in both of you," I looked up through my tears and sniffled, "because I can't believe both of you are buying this!" I began laughing and they exchanged glances, laughing. Tears were still flowing from my face.  
Unfortunately, Uncle Severus was on the train, too, since my dad had asked him to watch out for me. At the precise moment I was laughing and crying and the boys were laughing, Uncle Severus passed by our compartment, probably headed to the loo. He stopped when he saw me and pulled the door open violently.  
"What did you idiotic brats do to her?" Snape asked. Both of the boys froze and became like statues. "Oh, Uncle Severus, I was just showing them my act of crocodile tears. We were just sharing a laugh," I tried to reason.  
"Evelyn, a word?" Uncle Severus growled. He pulled me into the hallway and I could see people sprinting to move into compartments or outside of the car. He slipped out his wand and used his magic to close the rolling shade on the windows so the boys couldn't see us, and vice versa.  
"Evelyn," Severus began, "They are nothing but troublemakers. I don't think your parents would be pleased to know that you are spending precious time with them."  
"Uncle Severus," I retorted, "I finally feel like I fit in. I really think they're nice and…"  
"They are *not* good people," he hissed, "They'll break a girl's heart before she can blink. You know you're like a daughter to me. I'd rather you take interest in someone like… Draco Malfoy, or even, dare I say, Harry Potter."  
"Uncle Snape, I don't *want* to 'take interest in' anyone right now. I just want to find friends who are really like me. Remember that Christmas about 5 or 6 years ago when you were brewing that fireworks potion at our house?"  
Uncle Severus nodded, "You burned yourself specifically after your mother told you not to touch the cauldron."  
I nodded, "You have to let me make my own mistakes. I can't learn from someone telling me that I don't need to do something. I only learn from experience. So let me have experience in order for me to learn, Uncle." He nodded and knelt down to look me in the eyes. He placed his right hand on the left side of my face.  
"You're beautiful, and I don't want you to get hurt," He whispered, his strict eyes softening, "You're the closest thing I've had to a daughter, and I don't want to lose you in any form or fashion."  
I nodded, "I understand, but you need to trust me. If they hurt me, you'll be the first to know!" I smiled wrapping my arms around his neck in an embrace. He escorted me back into the car, giving the boys a nasty look. I hadn't realized that the train had momentarily stopped (probably some centaurs crossing the railroad track) and when I was about to sit down, it jolted back into motion, sending me flying across the compartment.  
Of course, I landed on top of George. Thankfully, his reflexes moved faster than mine did and he caught me in his arms to break the fall.  
"Oh, my gosh, I'm so sorry," I apologized as my face went beet red. He smiled, "Don't worry about it. It was the train's fault." I smiled, and was only slightly embarrassed. I returned to my seat. They both inquired about what Snape had said. I fooled them into believing that he wanted them to write a three-parchment essay on the headmaster's favorite potion. Of course, I ended up telling them that I was only joking.  
I showed them my muggle devices and we talked until the train came to a halt. The twins both said that they'd see me later. I waved as I gathered all my belongings, making sure my wand was secure in my pocket my mother had conjured up for my robes. I stood at the door of the train. The next step would change my future forever, and I knew it. I stepped off the train, breathing out deeply. This was the beginning of something huge. I could feel it.


	3. Chapter 2: Sorting Ceremony

Of course, when I stepped off of the train, I ran into none other than Harry Potter. I felt like this might become a normal happening. He pushed me to the ground by accident and stopped to apologize and help me up.  
"Oh, I'm so sorry… uh… Evelyn?" he said, trying to remember my name. I smiled and nodded, affirming his guess.  
"Thanks for helping me up… and for making a point to remember my name. I'll see you at dinner, alright?" I replied. He nodded and walked towards the big hairy man with a lantern that fit his size. A girl who looked to be my age walked up beside me.  
"That's Harry Potter," she said, matter of fact-ly, "And I'm Hermione Granger. You are…?"  
"Evelyn Murray. But apparently my nickname is Evie. It's very nice to meet you, Hermione."  
"You, too! Say, you aren't a pureblood, are you?" she asked in reply. I nodded and explained to her that I am a pureblood, but that it had no effect on how I treated others. I explained to her (mostly) the same things I had told the Weasley brothers about my background, and she sighed in relief.  
"My parents are both muggles…" she said, almost ashamed and embarrassed.  
The big grisly man who Harry had run to before began to call for the first years to follow him. We rode over to the castle on some boats. He led us into the foyer, telling us to wait for a few minutes while he retrieved Professor McGonagall.  
Somehow, Hermione and I got to the front of the crowd, beside Harry and the Weasley boy, whose name, according to Hermione, was Ron. Draco Malfoy, who I had known for years (only due to the fact that I was a pureblood and that all pureblood families go to the Malfoy's house once a year for a large party; my parents only went because they wanted others to feel safe that my family wasn't traitorous to the wizard race), began talking to Harry.  
"It's true then, what they're saying on the train. Harry Potter has come to Hogwarts," Draco said, "I'm Draco Malfoy." Ron snickered at this quietly. "Think my name's funny, do you? No need to ask yours. Red hair... and a hand-me-down robe; you must be a Weasley." Ron scowled as Draco continued, "You'll soon find out that some wizarding families are better than others, Potter." Draco gave me a quick glance, as if to say some kind of hello. He then stated, "You don't wanna go making friends with the wrong sort. I can help you there."  
Harry put on the bravest face I had seen from him all day and replied politely but firmly, "I think I can tell the wrong sort for myself, thanks." This didn't satisfy Draco, of course. He turned angrily away from Harry and whispered something to his two large henchmen, Crabbe and Goyle.  
About that time, someone tapped me on the shoulder. I spun around to see my cousin, Elsa Durham. She was also a pureblood, but her family was much more proud about it than mine was. She was a lot like Draco. They were both stereotypical purebloods. Elsa had the biggest crush on Draco since she had met him a couple of years before.  
"Draco sure did show that stupid redheaded kid!" she said in admiration. "Yeah, Draco showed him how rude he is," I hissed in reply. I didn't hide my feelings about my cousin from her. She knew that she was not my favorite person. She rolled her eyes.  
"You know we're both going to be put in Slytherin," she mocked. "I have a one in four chance of getting Slytherin. I don't think that you can tell my fate by those statistics, Elsa." She gave me a confused look. I was a much better student than she was. I almost prayed that she would be put into Ravenclaw just so her study habits would become better, but I decided that if I got sorted into Ravenclaw, then I wouldn't want her there with me to bog me down.  
Professor McGonagall arrived and began explaining everything to us (although some goofy-looking kid interrupted her due to the finding of his missing frog). She led us into the great hall, where my stomach began to flutter.  
I searched for the Weasley twins (they weren't hard to find, of course; they were two of the three redheads at Gryffindor House's table) and they saw me as I walked in. They looked at each other and nodded, then mouthed to me simultaneously, "We'll still be your friends, no matter what house you get." That reassured me slightly, but I still felt intimidated by the pressure.  
Professor McGonagall had explained that names would be chosen at random. This made me feel slightly better since the Sorting Hat couldn't really make a decision about a specific person like it'd be able to do if the names were listed alphabetically.  
Draco was called first. The hat was barely on his head before it shouted, "Slytherin!" I rolled my eyes and was not surprised. Next was the Weasley boy. He looked uneasy and nervous. The hat sat on his head for a moment, muttering something about another Weasley before yelling, "Gryffindor!" I smiled. It was good that he was with his older brothers.  
Next went several people who I didn't know, including the toad boy, whose name turned out to be Neville. Elsa was next. The hat sat on her head for longer than I had thought it would. Maybe it was shocked at how stupid she was. It called out that she was a Slytherin.  
"Hermione Granger," Professor McGonagall called. "It's my turn!" Hermione whispered to me as she made her way to the hat. Her eyes shone bright, and everybody could tell that she was completely excited. When the hat bellowed a loud "Gryffindor," I was quite surprised. Such a brilliant girl could've easily been placed in Ravenclaw.  
Several others whose names did not significantly stick in my mind were called. "Harry Potter," McGonagall said, with almost a sense of awe in her voice. Not a single person made a sound. Every mutter and whisper was silenced, simply by the sound of his name being read from a roll of parchment. Harry was nervous. He sat upon the stool and the hat was placed on his head. People began to whisper quietly. I supposed they were making bets about the house the hat would choose for him.  
It was hard to read what the hat was saying, but I was able to make most of it out, coming to the conclusion that it was saying, "Hmm, difficult. VERY difficult. Plenty of courage, I see. Not a bad mind, either. There's talent, oh yes. And a thirst to prove yourself. But where to put you?" Harry begged that he wouldn't be put in Slytherin. "Not Slytherin, eh? Are you sure? You could be great, you know. It's all here in your head. And Slytherin will help you on the way to greatness, there's no doubt about that. No?" the hat replied. "Anything but Slytherin…" Harry pleaded. "Well if you're sure, better be..." the hat paused and everyone went silent again, sensing that the hat was coming to a decision, "GRYFFINDOR!"  
Relief washed over Harry's face like a downpour of rain. He sprinted over to Ron and sat down, while Gryffindor house roared with cheers. I was thrilled that he wasn't in Elsa's house. He would've been mobbed by her 24/7.  
While more first years that I didn't recognize were called, I looked over at the twins. They were smiling at me. I then looked at the Slytherin table behind them, finding Draco. He was also staring at me. He knew of my lip-reading abilities, so he mouthed, "You're getting into Slytherin. There is nothing you can do about it." "Watch me," I sneered back silently. Of course Elsa was sitting next to him, ogling. I rolled my eyes and returned my attention to the Hat.  
"Evelyn Murray," Professor McGonagall stated. I was the only first year that hadn't been sorted. Every eye was on me. It wasn't as silent as it had been for Harry, but it was uncomfortably quiet. I sat on the stool and awaited the hat to be placed on my head.  
"Oh," the Sorting Hat said, "What a marvelous young lady! Ambitious, brilliant, brave and loyal! A Renaissance girl is what you are, my dear. A Pureblood, like Elsa, your … uhm … not as bright cousin."  
"That has no effect on the way I live my life. I love all creatures equally," I said, firmly but quietly. Anger would only prove his point.  
"Your mother was a Ravenclaw, and you get your brilliance from her, but your father was the most fair and loyal person I ever sorted, especially into Hufflepuff. You are a lot like him too. And Severus was a Slytherin, and you obviously care for him…"  
"I don't wish to be stereotyped by what houses my parents were in," I replied, "I am not my parents, I am not my cousin, I am not Snape. I want to be placed in a house in which I can make changes to the wizarding society. I want to have an effect on this world."  
"Well, then, I suppose I know where to put you," the hat said loudly.  
Silence overtook the room again.  
This was the longest sorting of the night, if not the longest in the whole history of Hogwarts. I gulped loudly, fearing that I said something wrong.  
"GRYFFINDOR!" the hat screeched.  
I gasped and Gryffindor house cheered loudly. Harry stood up and yelled for joy, and many others followed. I was handed a scarlet and gold striped tie. I grabbed it and ran to George and Fred. They divided in order to give me a place to sit.  
I kept on wiping tears that were pouring from my eyes. I was incredibly happy. Gryffindor was still cheering. Headmaster Dumbledore got up and the room, for the last time, got quiet. He began talking, mentioning rules and introducing himself and all of the staff. He said something about the third floor, but I wasn't paying much attention. I couldn't stop crying.  
Finally, Dumbledore finished his speech, and the food appeared on the table. We were introduced to our house ghost, Nearly-headless Nick. Fred and George filled my plate, telling me to "Try this!" or "Taste that!" I was so glad that I had been put in their house. I knew that this was the beginning of a fantastic year at Hogwarts.


	4. Chapter 3: Beginnings

Hours later we were shown to our living quarters. Thankfully, Hermione and I had gotten beds that were right next to each other. Professor McGonagall gave us a short speech about lights out and other such dormitory rules.  
I slipped into my bed with my favorite blanket draped over me. All the other girls were giggling and whispering away, while Hermione and I both had our noses buried in books. Her book was some kind of non-fiction on magic, and it seemed to be a very informational book. I was reading a muggle book. Romance. Fiction. Stereotypical "me" book.  
Soon, the silence revealed that some girls now wanted to sleep, so Hermione and I put our books on our sidetables and blew out the candles that lit up our portion of the room.  
Unlike the other tired females in the room, I had a ton of trouble sleeping. Hermione, of course, was snoring lightly, probably dreaming of taking classes. I wondered to myself if they had any sleeping potion or something I could take to help me sleep. I crept out of my bed and headed downstairs to the Common Room.  
There were cabinets in one of the corners of the room, so I opened them quietly, looking for something that would knock me out for the night. I turned away, unsuccessful, only to walk into the torso of an older Gryffindor. I gasped and apologized under my breath.  
"Why aren't you in bed?" he asked sternly. "I... uhm... I..." I stuttered quietly, then realized that I wasn't helping my case. "I couldn't sleep, so I came down here to see if there was some sleeping potion... or medicine... or something that would allow me to sleep," I continued confidently. I looked at the young man's face and saw that he looked like he could be a Weasley; he had red hair that was the same shade as the twins' as well as a similar facial structure, although he was not nearly as handsome.  
"I know where some is. Come with me. What is your name?" he said after a short pause. "It depends. Are you going to turn me in? I mean, you are a prefect, right?" I replied quickly. I wasn't actually planning on giving him my name on the first night of being at Hogwarts. He turned, smiling at me, "Yes, I am a prefect. However, I have no intention of turning you in to any authority. It's your first night and you have to get used to sleeping in a different bedroom. I had similar problems on my first day. Fortunately, I had older brothers to help me out."  
"Do I really look so naive?" I pouted, unhappy that he could tell that I was a first year. "Well," he replied, "You seem a little young to be a transfer, and I recognized you from the sorting ceremony. And you never told me your name."  
I sighed. I had been trying to discreetly avoid that topic. "Evelyn Murray. George and Fred, your brothers, I presume, call me Evie. I'll respond to either, though," I retorted. He smiled as he reached into a small unnoticable cabinet by the fireplace. He turned to me and said, "I will have to mix it together, so it may take a few minutes. Sit down on the couch and we'll have a nice chat." I did as I was told and sat. He asked me where I was from, about my family, and other such things. "Are you nervous about any of your classes at all?" he inquired as he clinked the stirring rod around the small beaker-like glass.  
I nodded, stating, "I am quite worried about History of Magic. It's not something I can apply easily to my current status, like Defense against the Dark Arts and Potions and such."  
"I'll be glad to help you with History of Magic. I'm in the library from 6 to 7:30 every weeknight," He responded. I agreed that he would tutor me in that area of study and he finally finished mixing the potion. "Here, drink this now, and by the time you get upstairs and under your covers, you'll be asleep," he ordered. I did exactly as I was told and slept very well that night. Weeks later, I was sleeping incredibly well on my own.

-

About two weeks into the quarter, I was walking from dinner to the library. I wanted to get there early for tutoring so I could do a bit of research for my Herbology homework. I was walking quite quickly when I turned a corner and ran head first into Filch, who had been carrying a large bucket of dirty water, which I assumed that he had just mopped with.  
"YOU FIRST YEARS! YOU JUST NEVER LOOK WHERE YOU'RE GOING, DO YOU?" He yelled in anger. I responded with a sense of flattery, "Oh, my gosh, I am soo sorry, *Professor* Filch!" This made him stare at me confusedly. Then he became proud. "I'll clean it up, Professor Filch! I know that this castle can't even run without you and you have much more important business than cleaning up the messes of first years!" I spoke smoothly. He forgave me and told me where to find the mop and that I was to put the bucket in the corner once I was through.  
I walked to the closet that he had mentioned and retrieved the mop. I cleaned up the entire mess, taking up most of the extra time I was going to have in the library. I put the water where he had told me and returned to the closet to put the mop away. I left the door open and the lights off as I went into the rear of the closet to put the mop back exactly where I had found it. Suddenly, the sound of footsteps came down the hall and someone slipped into the closet, closing the door silently. I gasped and the intruder covered my mouth with his hand and wrapped an arm around my stomach. I tried to scream, but was muffled.  
"Shhh..." a voice hushed me, "It's only me." I sighed in relief, recognizing the voice. It was one of the twins. I had no idea which one, but I was sure that  
it was either Fred or George. He turned me around and pressed my face into his chest, which made me realize how small the closet actually was. I inhaled and detected the scent of peppermint. It could only be...  
"George," I whispered, before he put his finger over my mouth. I suddenly heard more footsteps coming down the hall and knew that they belonged to Fred. He must've gone further down the hall, because the steps grew fainter and fainter. Then I heard a shrill cry, "Oh, ickle Third Years! Weasleys! Weasleys! Peeves will get you!"  
George again pressed my head against his chest as Peeves' voice grew softer as he traveled away from us. "How do you know which one I am, especially in the  
dark?" he asked me quietly, "How do you know I'm not Fred pretending to be George?" He leaned his face toward me questioningly.  
I giggled almost silently. "I had a theory at the beginning of the year that I've affirmed in the past few weeks. When I fell on you on the train," I paused for a moment glad he couldn't see my momentary blush, then I contintued, "I smelled peppermint on you. I sat by you at breakfast and noticed that every morning you smelled like peppermint, but Fred smells like spearmint. You can't stand the taste of spearmint, but you love peppermint. Fred is the exact opposite." I could sense George smiling at this.  
"I have a more important question for you, though," he said, almost coaxing, "Do you like the taste of peppermint?" I could feel that his lips were right in front of mine. I, again, was glad that he couldn't see my blush. The cool peppermint aroma that his breath held washed over my face and I dared not move. I was frozen.  
All of a sudden, footsteps came toward us. George turned me around and put me in the position he had orginially had me in. The door was flung open by Fred, who stood in the doorway smiling deviously. "We did a good job, didn't we, George," Fred snickered. George grunted, then replied, "And look what I caught while I was fishing in this closet." He turned me towards Fred. I gave him an aggravated look. "I think your catch wants to be released," Fred laughed.  
"I think I'm actually going to keep this one. Maybe make it a trophy," George teased. I tried to bite the hand he had over my mouth, but he had it cupped so I couldn't get my teeth to the skin. "Ah, ah, ah, Princess," George responded to my attempt, "We don't get our way by biting, now, do we?" "I think our princess wants to talk," Fred smiled. George moved his hand slowly from my mouth to the side of my face.  
"If you two don't mind, I actually have somewhere to be," I hissed. Fred smiled, and I assumed that George mirrored the face that Fred wore. "Where do you have to be, darling?" Fred taunted me. "Yes, where?" George added on. "Is it any of your business?" I snapped. I wriggled until George let me go. Fred stood in my way so that I was unable to get by. I tried to push past him, but Fred trapped me in his arms. I fought him, but he was relentless. "Fine," I snarled, "I'm going to tutoring for the History of Magic class. Percy is trying to help me, and I didn't want you to find out because I knew you two would make fun of me for being insufficient in one class. There. Are you two happy now?"  
They both stood with their brows furrowed, their eyes wide, and their mouths open. I shoved past Fred and picked up the books I had left in the hall. I then turned angrily on my heel and headed down the corridor towards the library. I heard their footsteps behind me and one of them grabbed my shoulder. I turned to see Fred gripping my left shoulder with his strong hand. He turned me around and my books fell to the floor. I shoved him angrily, which had virtually no effect on him. George scooped my books up before I had a chance to grab them myself. He didn't hand them back, but instead acted as if he wanted to carry them for me. I didn't want him to be kind. I was angry. I tried to tear them from his hands, but his clutch on it was far stronger than my own. I began to fall backwards when Fred reached out and caught me by my arm.  
"Evie," Fred said, holding tightly to my arm, so as to avoid an attempted escape, "We're sorry. We didn't mean to upset you." I huffed and tried to wrench my arm away from his grasp. "Please, Evelyn," George added, using my full first name to emphasize their regretfulness, "at least let us walk you to the library." I sighed angrily, "Fine."  
I started stomping in the direction of the library, the two boys flanking me. I wanted to cry because I was so angry. But I somehow managed to hold myself together. The boys started chatting behind me. Fred began, "Boy, Georgie. You really did it." George's voice sounded annoyed, "*I* did it? You are the one with whom she's angry." Fred laughed a single sarcastic laugh and continued, "At least I didn't call her a fish." "Well, let's just say that she won't be mad at me for a long time," George stated, braggingly. "Are you implying that something happened in the closet, Georgie?" Fred teased.  
I stopped suddenly, and the boys did the same. I turned to face George. I was hurt deeply. "*Is* that what you're implying?" I whimpered. George and Fred both noticed that I was no longer angry, just pained. "No... I ... I was just joking. I apologize," George replied. His grip tightened around my books as if he was trying to strangle someone.  
I took a deep breath in, then retorted, "It's alright. Just... don't go around saying things like that. I'm not sure about you, but I truly do have a reputation to uphold and I don't want it to be ruined." He nodded and we walked on. We finally arrived at the enterance of the library.  
"What time is it, Fred?" I asked, noticing that he was the only one of us three who was wearing a watch. "Two minutes until six," He replied, before gasping quite loudly, "I am scheduled to meet someone in the Common Room in two minutes! I've got to go! I'll meet you back at Griffyndor Tower, George!" He sprinted off and I was left alone with George. He held out my books for me to grab them, only to pull me into him once I had gotten a hold. "Maybe we can finish that business later," he said quietly, smiling mischeviously.  
"I am quite sure that I *don't* know what you're talking about," I responded, trying to pull my books from his hands. "Oh, now, come on, Evie. You know there was something there," he pursued. "There wasn't," I stated firmly, finally retrieving my books from him. I pulled his tie so that he was right next to my face. I put my lips to his ear and barely whispered, almost seductively, "And, for your information, I *love* the taste of peppermint." I didn't lie, but my purpose was not to tell him my favorite flavor of gum. Instead, I wanted to confuse him in a way similar to how he confused me earlier.  
I spun around, walking with my books into the library as George was frozen in his place. I glanced back for dramatic effect, then weaved my way towards Percy's table. "You're late," he said, without looking up from his book. "Sorry, Percy," I apologized, "I ran into some redheaded trouble." He nodded knowingly and got me started on my homework. However, I was focused on something else entirely: the twins.  
I stared into space with my mouth slightly agape with a dazed look on my face. I was suddenly jolted back into reality when Percy tapped my parchment with one finger and said, "You're doing this, not him." He pointed to a handsome fifth year Hufflepuff. "How dare you imply that I would set aside my morality and reputation by having an inappropriate relationship with someone!" I hissed. He scoffed and said, "*You* were the one undressing him with your eyes." "I wasn't even thinking about that young man," I retorted.  
"Who were you thinking about, then?" he questioned. I frowned. I didn't really want to tell Percy what I actually had been thinking about, but I couldn't just tell him that it was nothing. "My friend is in a situation with these two guys, and it's just really complicated, and neither of us have any idea what to do." He tore a small bit of parchment from a piece of scrap scroll. He scribbled some lines onto it, spelling out the words "Ophelia Moffet, 5th year Gryffindor" before handing it to me. "Go to her," he suggested, "She's really good with advice. But you have to tell her that I sent you, alright?" I nodded and finished up my work.  
I walked to the Common Room to find it empty, thankfully, except Neville. He was asleep on the couch with a book covering his face. I thought it would be in his best interest to be awake for his study time, so I nudged him. "Neville, you need to wake up..." I said quietly. He jumped after a moment and thanked me for waking him. I nodded in reply before walking up the stairs towards the girls' dormitories.  
I climbed past the door to my own dorm and found the fifth years' room. I knocked lightly on the door and heard a musical voice call, "Come in!" I obeyed shyly, sticking only my head in to begin with. Three girls sat on what seemed to be their own beds with their books open in front of them. The one in the middle greeted me. She had lovely blonde hair and fair skin. She was pretty, as were her two friend, the one on her left being a tanner girl with black hair and the one on her right a light skinned girl with light brown hair.  
"Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt anything..." I apologized. She shook her head and laughed, "Don't give it a worry. We were just about to take a break, weren't we, ladies?" Both girls on her side smiled and nodded. "I'm looking for Ophelia," I pulled the rest of my body into the room. The girls stared at the blonde. "That would be me," she affirmed. She patted a spot on the bed next to her, signaling for me to sit down.  
I did so, and told her that Percy had sent me. She frowned. I saw that Percy was not a comfortable topic fo her to talk about, so I immediately began to talk about my situation. "My friend is in this situation," I began, but Ophelia stopped me, "By friend, you mean yourself. It's okay, everything we talk about in this room stays in this room." I nodded and told her everything that had happened this year with the Weasley Twins, up until the very moment in which we spoke. She nodded and a tear trickled down her face. Her friends looked away from her, both suddenly interested in their books. It was obviously not a normal thing for Ophelia to cry, and it made both of the girls distressed.  
She started, "Percy and I used to date. Before he was a prefect. He was the sweetest thing ever. But at the end of last year, he changed. He had been trying to become a prefect for a while, but last year, he went nuts. He stopped caring about me. He would show up late for our dates. I finally confronted him about it and he told me to meet him in the observatory tower at 10 pm. I did. I waited. I waited and waited and waited until 1 o'clock in the morning. He never came. I returned to our dorm and cried myself to sleep.  
I woke up the next morning, went to breakfast and saw him. He was standing there, like nothing had ever happened. He was talking to someone. I yelled his name across the room and began running at him, anger filling my entire being. I pushed him to the ground and yelled at him about how I had waited for him and he had forgotten again and that it was over and that he had no right to ever speak to me again. He tried to reply, and he even reached for my shoulder. I screamed that if he touched me then I would make sure no rotten fruit like him would ever come from his loins. He stood there in silence as I marched out and returned, crying again, to this room. We haven't spoken since.  
But that night, after I had gone to the restroom to freshen up a bit before bed, I returned to find a lovely teddy on my bed, large and soft. It had a note underneath its paw, saying something like "I'm completely in love with you and I'm sorry and I wish you would give me another chance, but I'm not deserving of one so I understand if you never forgive me. -P" I still have the teddy and the note. I want to forgive him, but his heart has become so cold that I wonder if he still loves me.  
"Something similar happened to my older sister with Percy's eldest brother. She saw him kissing another girl, which wasn't his fault in the least. He had stepped under some mistletoe by accident and she leaped upon him and he tried to explain that to my sister, but she refused to believe him. That night she found a dozen of her favorite flowers on her bed with a note that said something similar to what mine had. She didn't ever forgive him. She was stupid for that.  
"But the moral is, that if the boys, or even just one of them, really does like or love you, then you'll find out by the end of the night tonight. They'll send you something... or one of them will, at least, if they truly feel sorry." She patted me on the back before embracing me tightly. "Oh, and what did you say your name was?" she asked. "Evelyn," I said, "But most people just call me Evie. Whichever is fine with me." She smiled and somehow knew that the boys called me Evie, so she decided that that would be what she called me. I bade farewell to Mythri and Lalasa, who were Ophelia's two best friends. I creeped out of the room quietly and sauntered down the steps to the first year dormitory, only to find it still empty.  
However, when I made my way to my bed, I found two separate, small boxes of chocolate, as well as a bigger box on my bed. All three were in the shape of a red heart. There were notes on the three of them, but I decided to read the big one first. The note stated clearly in a lovely cursive, "We are terribly sorry about making you upset earlier. Please accept our gift of chocolates as our apology. -F & G" I opened it up and cast a cleansing spell on it (just to make sure they hadn't put any silly mess in it, like a love potion or something) and found it clean as a whistle. I opened up the other two before reading their notes to do the same, finding them both clean as well. I read the note that was on the right side of the bed first, "I am so sorry about earlier. I should not have said anything to Fred about the closet. To be perfectly honest, I really wish he would've come just a few minutes later. I hope you enjoy these chocolates, in addition to the other ones. -G ... P.S. Fred doesn't know about this box... so hush hush."  
The other note read, "I am completely sorry about the way you were treated earlier. It got way out of hand. I shouldn't have pushed George like that and I should've let you get to the library. Please enjoy these chocolates as a token of my regret. -F ... P.S. Georgie has no idea about these chocolates, so mum is the word." I smiled. I had won this game. I ate a few of the chocolates quite slowly, in order to savor them, then I stuffed the leftovers away into a hidden compartment in my wardrobe. I tucked the notes deep inside one of my drawers. I threw myself onto my bed, assured that I now could completely control these boys if I so needed. I smiled to myself and drifted off into a sleep that would be the best I'd have in weeks.


	5. Chapter 4: A Great Day

I woke up the next morning having slept incredibly well. Something about Chocolates before bedtime always helped me to sleep better. But I was rarely allowed this privilege because my younger siblings were not wired in the same way and would be up until the wee hours of the morning as hyper as could be.

I went down to breakfast at 7AM, even though it was a Saturday morning and we weren't required to be up until 11. I spotted the Weasley twins before they were able to spot me, so I put on an air of confidence - so confident that it was almost arrogant - and walked slowly towards them in the Great Hall.

They both had their hands on the bench of the table, as if they were saving a spot between the two of them. They saw me and immediately motioned for me to come sit in the spot in which their hands had just been resting. "We've saved a seat for you," Fred said, smiling eagerly. George nodded with the same amount of overemphasized enthusiasm. I sat where they bid me to without saying a word. I didn't even acknowledge them; instead, I kept my eyes focused on Harry, who sat at the other side of the table. He spread some jam on his toast and sat quietly next to a jabbering Ronald Weasley. I wondered how Harry could do it... how he could keep focusing on what Ron was saying... or even handle the kid talking to him nonstop. I wasn't nearly that patient.

The twins sat quietly, as if waiting for me to speak. But I didn't. I wanted to make them feel awkward. See how long they could last. George finally broke the silence with the question I had been expecting all morning. "Did... Did you get our chocolates last night?" he asked. "Yes," I responded, turning to George and winking. I then turned to Fred, winked, and continued, "I did get the chocolates." They both sighed, relieved for some reason.

We made very light conversation (only because I wouldn't start the conversation... and this made the boys afraid to break the quiet chatter between us). Soon, though, Fred, George, and Harry all stood, beginning to make their way out of the Great Hall. "Oi! Where are you 'eaded off to?" Ron demanded. "Oh, Ronnie. We have Quidditch practice. Harry's our new seeker, remember?" Fred responded. "Oh," Ron said, recalling that Harry had told him this, "Then I guess I'll catch you later, Harry." Harry simply nodded and walked on and the twins smiled at me. "What?" I asked. "We were wondering..." George began. "If we'd see you later?" Fred finished. I rolled my eyes. "I suppose..." I said before smirking. They gave me the biggest grins before running out of the Great Hall, Harry following close behind. I sat and talked to Ron for a few minutes, before inviting him to come with me to watch them practice Quidditch. Hermione, who was sitting a few places down, spoke up. "Ron! Have you finished your essay for Herbology? Today is the last research day in which the greenhouse will be open. It closes at noon today." Ron scowled, knowing that he needed to complete his essay in order to maintain a decent mark in Herbology. He politely declined my offer as he glared at his pumpkin juice. I smiled and bid him a goodbye, telling him that he was free to join me if he found the time. He nodded without looking at me, and I walked out of the Great Hall.

I stopped by my room in order to grab some of my sketching utensils and immediately headed to the Quidditch field. Today, it looked like Gryffindor was scrimmaging Hufflepuff. I liked the Hufflepuff kids. They were always finding nice things to say. They also had a great attitude when playing Quidditch - however, this didn't make them any less aggressive. I sat in the stands carefully drawing what was happening around me. It was an interesting game, and it almost seemed like more of a joke to the teams instead of a scrimmage. One fourth year Hufflepuff laid out on his broom as if he were sunbathing. Oliver Wood, who sometimes seemed to be the most competitive of the bunch, was even goofing off. I suppose that since the games were still a little ways off, they could afford a fun break. As I sketched the boys flying around the stadium, I felt a presence next to me. I looked over and groaned, "Ugh! What are YOU doing here?" The white haired boy gave me a snake-like grin, before pouting like a puppy. "You haven't talked to me all year! It's like you've been trying to avoid me," Draco Malfoy stated. "That's because I HAVE been trying to avoid you, Malfoy," I hissed. He snickered and snatched up my drawing, "What's this? A drawing of your boyfriends?" "Oh, that's REAL mature, Draco," I sighed, not giving in to his antics, "Steal my art and accuse me of having boyfriends? What's next, teasing? You're being too Cliché, Malfoy."

He actually stopped to look at the drawing. "This is actually really good," he said under his breath, hoping, I suppose, that I was unable to hear him. "I know," I responded, "now why don't you run along and find Elsa. I'm sure she is looking for you." He rolled his eyes and heaved a big sigh, saying,"She is driving me up the walls. Everywhere I go she's constantly there. I don't know HOW to get rid of her." I smirked before saying, "She's clingy. I still haven't found a way to get rid of her. You could always pass her off to someone else. Talk someone up, y'know? Make someone else in Slytherin sound incredible and amazing, then she won't want you any more. That's the best advice I can give you." He sighed again, then got up and exited the stadium. I sighed in relief, picking my artwork back up.

I realized that the practice had ended, and Fred, George, and Harry all motioned for me to come down to the field. I stood up but all of a sudden George was floating next to me in the stands on his broom. "Hop on, and I'll fly you down," he said cheekily. I nodded and mounted the broom with caution. We zoomed down to the fields where I immediately jumped off of the broom. Note to self, I thought, never EVER do that again. After a moment I was able to walk again and we all began walking together back to Gryffindor Tower. "Who was the blonde kid you were talking to? Isn't he in Slytherin?" Fred inquired. "That's Draco Malfoy," Harry responded for me with a snarl. I wasn't surprised. I was about to retort in the same way. "What did he want?" George asked. "Nothing," I answered, "He was just being himself, that's all." All three boys looked at me, confused. I forgot, they didn't know that I knew him.

"He and I ... well, our families... kind of grew up together, since we're all purebloods. My family, the Murrays, aren't quite as ... well... liberal on our views of muggles and non-purebloods. They actually fascinate us. I have lived in a muggle community all my life. My best friend is a muggle," I explained. I told them about some parts of my life, including my aggravating cousin Elsa and the feasts that we would share with the Malfoys when I was younger. All three of the boys seemed genuinely interested.

Ron was running out towards us, and huffed and puffed when he finally got to us. "Man, I'd hoped you wouldn't be done already," he breathed, frowning. "Did you finish that research, Ron?" I asked, looking at my watch noting that it was already 10:30. His frown grew further into an emotion that seemed similar to disappointment. "No..." he responded, feeling apparently ashamed, "I couldn't focus. I gave up and hoped that you guys were still playing Quidditch." I shook my head with a smile. "Why don't you, Harry and I all go out to the greenhouse and see if we can all do some research together?" I asked. I had already finished my essay, but I loved spending time in the Greenhouse. The two first years looked at each other and nodded. They agreed to let me accompany them to the greenhouse and help them with research.

We went by our rooms to drop off our things. When I entered my room, Hermione sat on the bed reading her Potions book. "Where are you off to?" she asked as I began to exit. She didn't even look up from her book. "I'm going to the Greenhouse. Helping some classmates with their research," I responded lightly. "Isn't that cheating? Cheating is not acceptable," she stated in one of those rare tones that got on my nerves. "No, I'm going to help them, not do it for them, Hermione. Have fun studying Potions," I said, my voice dripping with sarcasm when I said the last sentence. "Don't worry; I will," I heard her say as I closed the door behind me. She meant for me to feel the sting in her voice. She was angry about something, and that always put me in a bad mood with her. We both knew deep down that we were still friends, but right now was the ideal time to wait it out and not make much contact with one another.

Ron and Harry sat in the common room, waiting on me. We were about to walk out of the Portrait Hole when Neville came up behind us. "W-where are you three going?" he stuttered. "We're headed to the Greenhouse to finish some herbology research, I answered, "Would you like to come along?" He nodded with a nervous sense of enthusiasm and we all made our ways down to the Greenhouse. Professor Sprout was leaving just as we were walking in, "Oh, hello, dears! I'm going to step out for a bit, but please, help yourself to the Greenhouse. Just please do not remove anything from its pot and be careful. Read the signs before touching. There are also some books on the back table. I'll be back by noon!"

We thanked her and walked into the Greenhouse. I asked each of the boys what their plant topic was. Ron had the Honking Daffodil. Harry had the Puffapod. Neville had the umbrella-sized flowers. I had taken on the mandrakes, but obviously I had not done a whole lot of field research with those.

I started each of the boys off at their designated plants and gave them sample questions to think of and answer. They observed their plants and searched through several of the books that Professor Sprout had pointed out to us. Within an hour, the boys had gotten more than enough information to write their essays. Neville threw his arms around me before awkwardly moving away. I gave an awkward smile in return and all the boys thanked me. We walked out of the greenhouse back towards the castle and I spotted two redheads walking our way. They bypassed the three boys who were in front of me, but grabbed me by the arms, one on each side, dragging me backwards.

"What is this?" I asked, "A kidnapping?" They both laughed. "We've got something we want you to see," George stated as they pulled me past the greenhouse towards the Forbidden Forest. When I noticed this, I began to squirm. "Fred, George, I don't want to go anywhere that might get me in trouble. Remember what I said about reputation last night." They both smiled and we stopped suddenly. They turned me around to the most beautiful garden I had ever seen. I gasped loudly when I saw it.

"Who grows this?" I whispered. They both gave a little chuckle. "It's wild," Fred murmured in response. I rolled my eyes. "There's no way that it could be wild and grow like this."

"Oh, but that's where you're wrong, child," an old, wise, and familiar voice said. I turned around quickly to look up into the white beard of Dumbledore himself. The Greatest Wizard in History, it was rumored. I tried to speak, but the only thing that came out of my mouth was a hoarse, "Headmaster..." He smiled down at me kindly and explained how long ago, this garden started growing wildly and randomly.

"This is where your parents met, my dear Evelyn," the wise old wizard informed me. My jaw dropped. I had never known that. We stood around the wild garden in awe for a while longer before Dumbledore suggested that we return to the Castle for lunch. I nodded and smiled, walking with two of my best friends back to the castle. I couldn't believe the day I'd had so far. It was marvelous and... to say the least... magical.


End file.
